NYC Legionnaire's latest: Staffing shortage did not contribute to outbreak, officials say; 80+ cases reported

Legionnaires disease outbreak stemmed from cooling towers in Harlem

Officials say the Legionnaires disease outbreak in Harlem is contained, but are still telling residents to watch for systems as they clean cooling systems in the area.

HARLEM, NY - The Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Harlem has grown to over 80 confirmed cases, with three people now dead, according to officials. As of today, 24 people are currently in the hospital. Officials have been handing out information to residents to make them aware of symptoms and how to get treated as soon as possible.

MORE: What is Legionnaires' disease?

What we know:

Health officials have confirmed that the outbreak was caused by 11 contaminated cooling towers in a cluster of five zip codes. All the infected cooling towers have been sanitized and treated, and officials stress that there is no longer a threat to the community. The numbers continue to climb, however, due to the two-to-14-day lag time from exposure to when a person first shows symptoms.

The disease spreads through water vapor or mist from cooling towers and does not affect normal water sources, according to the NYC Health Department. 

Under a magnification of 43,700X, this transmission electron micrograph (TEM) created from a whole preparation of Legionella pneumophila bacteria that had been negatively stained using uranyl acetate, and grown on bacteriologic medium, reveals L. pne

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Where is the outbreak located?

The five zip codes where the cluster of cases are located are 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039.

According to NYC Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse, while the department has seen a lot of compliance from building owners since a 2017 law requiring inspections, there is a staffing shortage in the department. However, she emphasized that this did not interfere with their response.

"We believe we've been able to, with the staffing we have, immediately respond to this cluster," Morse said. "Within 72 hours of it being detected, we had tested every single cooling tower in all five zip codes here in central Harlem and our inspectors sprung into action to make sure that anti-bacterial treatment happens immediately for the 11 towers that tested positive."

Morse stressed that the system which caused the outbreak is separate from indoor plumbing. "New Yorkers in central Harlem can still safely drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook. Air conditioner those things are safe," she said.

What's next:

Lawmakers are now sounding the alarm and asking for change. New York State Sen. Cordell Cleare said she and others have created a new bill they want to pass with "five major reforms including requiring immediate remediation and mitigation, more frequent testing and inspections and fines if there are violations."

Officials are not sharing which buildings were impacted because they want everyone in the area to stay alert and know that they could be at risk. 

The city is holding an online webinar on Tuesday for residents to ask questions and get more answers about the outbreak.